La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science

🔬 Did you know that there are about 28 – 37 trillion cells in our bodies … and that they communicate, repair themselves and clean up after themselves in order to keep us healthy?

They do this by producing tiny packets of information, called Extracellular Vesicles (EVs). Once thought of as leftover waste, scientists now understand that EVs play a key role in keeping us healthy, and are beginning to discover how different sized EVs perform different functions.

In this LIMS Explains, PhD researcher Stephanie Rutter and Research Centre for Extracellular Vesicles (RCEV) Director Professor Ivan P**n explore how Large EVs help to keep our bodies healthy, cell by cell.

Read: https://www.latrobe.edu.au/news/announcements/2026/lims-explains-how-l-evs-help-cells-stay-healthy

La Trobe University

🌾 🖥️ Award-winning AI platform to save water, energy, fuel and time in agriculture

Congratulations to Distinguished Professor Wei Xiang, who has won the Australian Financial Review’s AI Award in the sustainability category for his pioneering work developing water- and energy-saving AI systems for agriculture.

Working in partnership with Aglantis, Professor Xiang has developed an irrigation platform which combines solar-powered field sensors with an AI-driven, real-time digital twin analyse local conditions like soil moisture, temperature and weather.

Through the platform, farmers receive clear, practical, and bespoke advice – and early results suggest that this has led to:

🌊 20 per cent in water savings
⚡Electricity costs cut by up to half
🚜 Less time checking fields, saving fuel during the current diesel crisis.

Professor Xiang, who is the Director & Chief Scientist of the Australian Centre for Artificial Intelligence in Medical Innovation (ACAMI) and a LIMS member, said that the future of agriculture will be increasingly data-driven.

“By integrating sensors, AI and real-time environmental monitoring, we can support more resilient farming systems for Australia and worldwide.”

Find out more: https://www.latrobe.edu.au/news/articles/2026/release/digital-technology-innovator-an-ai-award-winner

La Trobe University

🔬 $1 million from Breakthrough Victoria brings NanoMslide one step closer to the clinic

A huge congratulations to LIMS Deputy Director Distinguished Professor Brian Abbey, Dr Eugeniu Balaur, Professor Belinda Parker (Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre) and the team at La Trobe University biotech spin-out company AlleSense, who have received a $1 million investment from Breakthrough Victoria to support the clinical validation of NanoMslide.

NanoMslide is a nanofabricated microscope slide which enables faster, more accurate cancer detection without the need for traditional chemical staining. By working seamlessly with existing microscopes and enhancing the visibility of abnormal cells, this technology has the potential to significantly improve diagnostic consistency and speed—critical factors in early cancer detection and treatment.

Not only will the funding support the clinical validation NanoMslide as a safe and impactful diagnostic tool, but it will also create new high-skilled jobs in Victoria and support the translation of this research into a globally competitive health technology.

From its beginnings as a multidisciplinary research project at LIMS more than ten years ago, we’re excited to celebrate this milestone on NanoMslide’s journey, which we hope will see it become an essential diagnostic tool in the clinic, delivering meaningful impact to patients and clinicians alike.

Read more: https://breakthroughvictoria.com/stories/investment-update-allesense/

La Trobe University

🤝 REACH Launch: Bringing together world-class scientists with the community to tackle antimicrobial resistance (AMR)

Last week, it was our pleasure to launch our new research initiative, REACH – Research and Engagement for Antimicrobial Resistance and Community Health.

It was an inspiring event, with community and cutting-edge science at its heart. We heard from those with lived experience of chronic UTIs, which in one in five cases, are made more difficult to treat because of antimicrobial resistance.

We learned about how AMR is not just a human health issue, but one which affects all life – animals, plants, and the environment itself – and combating it needs a holistic approach.

We heard how our scientists are already applying their expertise to tackle AMR - from bacteria-killing viruses, new peptides, and ways to make bacteria less virulent, to using defensins from nature to develop new antifungal treatments.

And we heard how, through the REACH Initiative, LIMS will be supporting multidisciplinary research with community collaboration to find new antimicrobial treatments, and preserve the usefulness of current treatments.

Thank you to all of our speakers on the day: Chronic UTI Australia Chair and Co-Founder Deirdre Pinto; REACH Initiative co-convenors Professor Begoña Heras and Associate Professor Ash Mansell; researchers Professor Mark Hulett, Professor Steve Petrovski, Dr Wenyi Li, Dr Jason Paxman, Dr Kathy Parisi and Professor Marilyn Anderson AO; LIMS Director Professor Patrick Humbert; andDeputy Vice-Chancellor & Vice President (Research & Innovation) Professor Chris Pakes.

Finally, a big thank you to all who attended, and expressed interest in collaborating with our researchers.

AMR is complex, and is fast on the rise. If we’re to protect our future from AMR’s devastating impact, it needs to be tackled from multiple angles in innovative ways.

The REACH Initiative is just the beginning. We hope that by bringing those with lived experience together with experts from across scientific disciplines, we can develop meaningful solutions to provide better health outcomes, and ensure effective infection prevention and treatment remain within reach of all.

La Trobe University

🚀 Congratulations to LIMS Space Biology Research Professor Kate Kitagawa, who has been named a finalist in two categories at the Space Connect Australian Space Awards!

Professor Kitagawa, who is a Professor of Practice for the School of Computing, Engineering and Mathematical Sciences, La Trobe University and the founder of space education platform Aussie Space Rocks, is a finalist in the Female Space Leader of the Year – Academia and Rising Star of the Year – Academia categories.

The winners will be announced on 18 June – we wish Professor Kitagawa the best of luck!

See the full list of finalists: https://www.spaceconnectonline.com.au/ausspaceawards/winners/2026-finalists

La Trobe University

🖥️ “I am greatly honoured to receive a Fellowship that’s named after Professor Nick Hoogenraad, because he is the reason why I did my PhD at LIMS in the first place.”

Meet Dr Ruitao Jin, our new LIMS Nick Hoogenraad Fellow.

A computational chemist, Dr Jin’s research investigates how cells respond at a molecular level to physical and biological stimuli – from how plants can sense and respond to drought conditions, to how human immune systems provide an innate defence against infection.

Using a method called molecular dynamics, he visualizes the dynamic structures of proteins to understand how they transform when exposed to different stimuli.

“I’m passionate about my research field, because it uncovers the hidden ‘architecture’ of life,” Dr Jin said.

“It’s often a multidisciplinary puzzle that requires knowledge in biology, chemistry, and physics and more.”

Through his work, Dr Jin hopes to contribute to meaningful impact in health and agriculture.

“By uncovering how proteins function as biological sensors, our work will provide the essential blueprint for developing more smart and powerful biological systems,” he said.

Dr Jin completed his PhD at LIMs in 2020, and we’re excited to welcome him back as our LIMS Nick Hoogenraad Fellow.

Dr Jin said Professor Hoogenraad, who founded LIMS, is an inspiration for younger generation of scientists.

“Being awarded the LIMS Hoogenraad Fellowship feels like a mandate to uphold the high standards he set for this institution,” he said.

“There are so many world-leading scientists at LIMS who not only are leaders in their area, but are also wonderful mentors.

“I’m looking forward to learning from them, collaborating with them, and bringing some exciting research outcomes together with them.”

Read the full story: https://www.latrobe.edu.au/news/announcements/2026/focus-on-dr-ruitao-jin

La Trobe University

📣 Meet the speakers | REACH Initiative launch

We’re delighted to introduce our speakers for the upcoming REACH Initiative launch!

Bringing together lived experience with scientific expertise from across disciplines, each speaker will bring their own perspective on how we can tackle Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) and protect human, animal, plant, and environmental health.

🔸 Deirdre Pinto
Co Founder & Chairperson, Chronic UTI Australia Inc.
Deirdre brings powerful lived experience of chronic urinary tract infection, highlighting the real world impact of recalcitrant infections and the importance of patient-centered solutions.

🔸 Professor Begoña Heras & Dr Jason Paxman
Anti-virulence therapies
Pioneering anti-virulence therapeutics that disarm harmful bacteria instead of killing them - a new way to fight infections and stay ahead of antibiotic resistance.

🔸 Professor Mark Hulett
Bio inspired antimicrobials
Drawing inspiration from nature, Professor Hulett's research explores antifungal and antibacterial defensins found in plants and animals, including crocodiles.

🔸 Emeritus Professor Marilyn Anderson & Dr Kathy Parisi
Antifungal therapies
Discovering new antifungal treatments using plant defensins to address the growing threat of fungal resistance.

🔸 Professor Steve Petrovski
Mobile genetic elements & phage therapy
Advancing bacteriophage-based treatments - using bacteria-killing viruses as alternatives to traditional antibiotics.

🔸 Dr Wenyi Li
Antimicrobial peptides
Designing next-generation, high-potency antimicrobial peptides to more effectively kill resistant bacteria.

👉 Join us to learn how REACH is driving collaboration, innovation, and impact—and how you can be part of the solution.

Find out more and register: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/reach-initiative-protecting-our-future-from-antimicrobial-resistance-tickets-1985246766520

La Trobe University

🎉 Community, diverse perspectives and hope: Celebrating the launch of the Post-Acute Viral Infection diseases Group (PAVING) National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Centre of Research Excellence!

Led by Distinguished Professor Stephanie Gras (LIMS Deputy Director), with LIMS Fellow Dr Sarah Annesley and collaborators across Australia, the $3 million NHMRC centre seeks to uncover the biological mechanisms behind Long COVID, ME/CFS and Multiple Sclerosis, accelerate pathways to new, effective treatments, and help to improve quality of life for those living with these conditions.

The two days of workshops, talks and celebrations encapsulated PAVING’s core aim of bringing members of the community who live with these conditions together with scientists and clinicians to help shape research priorities and guide interpretation to ensure real-world impact.

Throughout the launch activities, members of the community generously shared their stories of what it’s like to be diagnosed live with Long COVID, ME/CFS and MS; researchers shared their expertise and research techniques; and connections were made for future collaborations.

Congratulations to the PAVING team – we can’t wait to see how your research unfolds.

To find out more and to get involved, visit the PAVING CRE website 👉 https://cre-paving.org/

La Trobe University

⏰ REACH Initiative Launch: Register and learn how we are tackling antimicrobial resistance

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is rising at an alarming rate, undermining the effectiveness of antibiotics and threatening the health and wellbeing of communities worldwide. With AMR contributing to millions of deaths globally every year, the need for action has never been more urgent.

If you care about the future of infection prevention, treatment, and community health, don’t forget to register for the launch of REACH (Research and Engagement for Antimicrobial Resistance and Community Health) and hear how you can help researchers at the La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science (LIMS) tackle one of the most critical global health challenges of our time.

👉 Register now: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/reach-initiative-protecting-our-future-from-antimicrobial-resistance-tickets-1985246766520

La Trobe University

REACH Initiative: Protecting Our Future from Antimicrobial Resistance Join us to launch REACH - a new LIMS initiative to tackle one of the most urgent global health challenges of our time.

Congratulations to LIMS Fellow Dr Ebony Monson, who has received the Basic Science Researcher Award at this year’s Premier’s Awards for Health and Medical Research!

Dr Monson’s work investigates fat-containing structures in our cells called lipid droplets, and their role in our immune system’s early defences against viral infections.

“These rapid defences are activated within minutes of infection, but until recently, we did not fully understand how they are organised or how they help stop viruses from spreading,” she said.

“By understanding and harnessing this natural defence system, this work aims to develop a new type of antiviral treatment that could work against many different viruses, including future emerging threats. This represents a shift toward “host-directed” therapies that strengthen the body’s own defences, rather than targeting the virus itself.”

Dr Monson said she was both excited and humbled to receive the award, and grateful to her team, mentors and collaborators for their support.

“This recognition means a lot, especially in a field where so many people are doing amazing work,” she said.

“It makes me feel really proud to be recognised as an emerging leader in my field, and also to represent something visible for young girls who might be thinking about a career in science, because you can’t be what you can’t see."

Dr Monson received the award alongside School of Allied Health, Human Service and Sport’s Dr Brooke Patterson. A researcher at the Sport and Exercise Medicine Research Centre, Dr Patterson received the Clinical Researcher Award for her outstanding work designing “Prep-to-Play” – an injury-prevention program for women and girls who play community-level Australian rules football.

Find out more: https://www.latrobe.edu.au/news/articles/2026/release/la-trobe-researchers-recognised-in-premiers-award

La Trobe University